Carnaval:​Celebrations of the​African Diaspora

Delilah W. Pierce

About The Artist

Artist StatementDelilah W. Pierce (1904 to 1992) – artist, curator, educator, and advocate. Delilah is known for her fluid style, which ranged from figurative to abstract. Her colorful compositions are inspired by nature, female equality, and her travels to Europe and Africa. Pierce was revered by her peers and according to art critic

Judith Means:“The way she perceives the world, with joy and optimism, and the stunning clarity of her finely-developed aesthetic sense are integral not only to her character but also to the vivid visual textures of her work.”Delilah had numerous solo exhibitions and exhibited in more than 150 group shows.

BioDelilah W. Pierce, born in 1904, 34 years after the American Industrial Revolution (1820-1870), was an African American artist and Washington, DC native who, through her body of work, helped to expand western thought about what African American art and subject matter was at the time. Delilah captured what was beautiful, simple, and innocent in the world. Her usage of figurative to abstract subject matter was inspired by her ability to see prosperity and opportunity during Jim Crow and mass lynching.